Air circulator and humidifier for furnaces and heaters



R. W. MENK.

AIR CIRCULATOR AND HUMIDIFIER FOR FURNACES AND HEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAN. 8. 1920.

1,365,842. Patented Jan. 18,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I FIG.|

v INVENTOR RUDOLPH W. MENK.

R. W. MENK.

. AIR CIRCUL'ATOR AND HUMIDIFIER FOR FURNACES AND HEATERS APPLICATION FILED MAR- 8. I920.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

INVENTOR RUDOLPH W. MEHK. EY M ATTYs.

R. W. MENK.

A-IR CIRCULATOR AND HUMIDIFIER FOR FURNACES AND HEATERS.

APPLic/nwu mm MAR- B. 1920.

1,365,842. Patented Jan. 18,1921.

FIG. 3

INVENTOR RUDOLPH W. MENK BY@M M Z '30 2/ A5 /6 Z 7 AT Y5.

. and

UNITED STATES nunonrn w. mm, or 10mm, rumors, ABSIGNOB r PATENT OFFICE.

THE EXCELSIOB STEEL FUR- RACE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Am CIBCULATOB AND HULIIDIFIER FOR FURNACES AND HEATERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed larch 8, 1920. Serial No. 868,962.

furnace, and in this connection I provide means that are adapted to humidlfy the air during its circulation.

Among the diversobjects of my present invention are the provision of means that are adapted to draw out a portion of the cool air supply in the usual return flues or air supply of a warm air furnace or heater to increase the .velocity thereof by means of a turbine or fan that discharges the drawn out air into the furnace shell between the latter and the heating element. Another object is to provide means for discharging a quantity. of sprayed or atomized fluid into the air return flue during the operation of the device. Another object of this invention is the provision of a circulating and humidifying structure that is adapted to be installed in a furnace already in use without havin to alter the construction thereof. And still further objects are the provisions of a structure that is simple in arrangement, economical to manufacture, relatively easy to assemble, and effective in its operation. These objects I prefer to attain substantially in the manner hereinafter pointed out. Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a erspective view of the rear of a warm air eater or furnace showin my improvements installed thereon, an

rtions of the furnace being broken away or clearness.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal plan of my apparatus, the furnace and heating unit ing in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my device.

Fig. 4 is a rear view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of the discharge nozzle, detached.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1,

the furnace, preferably, comprises the usual metal outer shell 10, surrounding and spaced from the cast iron heating element 11 of any of the usual or well known types to provide an air heating chamber therebetween. The cold air from 'the apartments being heated is drawn down through oppositely arranged cold air flues 12, to a box like structure 13, which is disposed with its bottom adjacent the floor and communicates with the lower portion of the chamber between the exterior shell and the heating element of the furnace where the cool air becomes heated and circulates about the heat ing element and is discharged from the drum or shell through suitable outlets 14 in the top or upper portion of the shell. The structure thus far described is a typical warm air furnace or heater and forms no essential portion of my invention.

Mounted, preferably, at the rear of the furnace and spaced away from shell 10, is a blower 15 of any suitable type that is driven by a motor 16 preferably mounted upon one side of the casing thereof. From the exhaust outlet of the blower, I provide a conduit 17 leading throu h shell 10 of the fur nace structure where t e same connects with the neck or throat portion 18 of a crescent shape or annular discharging device 19=that extends around the lower portion of the heating element of the furnace between the heating element and the shell and spaced from each of these parts a slight distance. This dischar ing device 19 is, preferably, of triangular shape in cross-section and extends from near one of the walls of the ashpit opening around the heating element to the opposite ashpit wall, while its upper portion is provided with a concentric discharge opening 20 through which the air driven into the structure by blower 15 is discharged inv the inlet portions of the blower to a suitable conduit 21 that extends laterally out from the blower and has one extension 22 that leads to and through box 13 upon one side of the furnace, and a branch 23 that leads to and throughbox 13 upon the opposite side of the furnace. The ends of these branches 22 and .23 terminate in upturned stubs 24 and 25, respectively, that extend up into the cool air conduit 12 a short distance, as seeen in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings. Thus, it will be seen that the air being drawn to the inlet of the blower is taken out of the cool air conduits 12 and thereby acts kinetically or through friction to increase the velocity of the downwardly moving current of air therein, and this air upon leaving the blower is materially increased in its velocity and blown into the semi-circular discharging device 19 within the heating chamber of the furnace where its upward direction materially assists in increasing the velocity of the air reaching the heating chamber from the usual cool air conduits and increasing the velocity thereof for a better circulation. It will also be seen that the interposition of the blower, and its inlet and exhaust conduits, acts as a booster for the cool air at two points in the cycle of the circulation of the cool air to and in the heat in chamber.

have provided suitable means, as before stated, for humidifying the air in its transit to the heating chamber, which preferably comprises a small pump 26 the shaft whereof is positioned substantially in alinement with the shaft of motor 16, and 1 connect these parts by a shaft 27 so that when the motor is operating to drive the blower it will at the same time actuate pump 26. Positioned either in or below the boxlike structures 13, and preferably, below the adjacent portions of conduits 22 and 23,

are pans 28 and 29 that contain a quantity of water or other suitable fluid, and are provided with outlet pipes 30 and 31, respectively, that lead therefrom to a T or union 32, and are connected therefrom to the pump by the inlet pipe 33 of said pump. The outlet pipe 34, leading from the discharge end of the pump, is connected to a T or union 35 that has discharge pipes 36 and 37 leading in opposite directions therefrom, the ends of which pipes 36 and 37, extend into and terminate within the box-like structure 13 of the furnace in planes above the respective conduits 22 and 23. These conduits and the respective pipes 36 and 37 within the box-like structure 13 are also in a vertical plane above and in alinement with water pans 28 and 29, and said pipes 36 and 37 are each provided within the boxlike structure 13, with discharge orifices that permit the water pumped into pipes 36 and 37 to be sprayed or discharged in fine streams in the box-like structure and in a downward direction toward and into pans 28 and 29, which act as reservoirs and permit the return of the unevaporated water to the pump. This spraying of the water takes place in the path of the cool air that is moving toward the heating chamber of the furnace and materially moistens or humidifies this air so that it becomes revitalized and in a better condition for heating and discharging into the apartment to be heated.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that I have provided a means for increasing the velocity of the air leading to the furnace by providing a suction in the cool air conduits and by discharging the air from the blower ina jet inside the heating co1npartment the velocity of the upwardly rising warm air is materialy increased, and at the same time means are provided whereby the air is moistened or humidified in its transit to the heating chamber. It will also be ob vious to others that divers arrangements of this structure may be provided without niaterially departing from the disclosure herein made, and I, therefore, desire it undcrstood that such changes are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new is 1. The combination with a furnace having a heating element, a shell inclosing the same and spaced therefrom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communisaid blower and terminating in said heating chamber, and means connected to said discharge conduit and positioned within said heating chamber, whereby the air discharged through said means is directed and circulated around the heating element of the furnace.

2. The combination with a furnace having a heating element, a shell inclosing the same and spaced therefrom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communicating with and discharging into said heating chamber, of a blower, an inlet conduit leading from said cool air conduit to said blower, and a discharge conduit lead ing from said blower and terminating in said heating chamber, and arranged concentrically around the heating element, whereby the air discharged through the same is directed and circulated around the heating element of the furnace.

3. The combination with a furnace hav ing a heating element, a shell inclosing the same and spaced therefrom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communicating with and discharging into said heating chamber, of a blower, an inlet conduit leading from said cool air conduit to said blower, a discharge conduit leading from said blower and terminating in said heating chamber, and a se ental shaped dischar ingdevice surrounding and concentric wit a portion of the heating element and having an opening in its upper portion, whereby the air discharged from said device is directed and circulated substantially entirely around said heating .element and the air so discharged is given an upward direction of flow.

4. The combination with a furnace having a heatin element, a shell surrounding the same an s aced therefrom to provide a heating cham er, and a cool air conduit communicating through the lower portion of said shell with said heating chamber, of devices for withdrawing a portion of the air flowing through said conduit and -discharging said withdrawn air into said heating chamber at an increased velocity.

5. The combination with a furnace having a heatin element, a shell surrounding the same an spaced therefrom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communicating through the lower portion of said shell with said heating chamber, of a separate conduit leading from said cool air conduit to said heating chamber, and means communicating with said separate conduit for increasing the velocity of the air flowing therethrough.

6. The combination with a furnace 'having a heating element, a shell surrounding the same and spaced therefrom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communicating through the lower portion of said shell with said heating chamber, of devices for withdrawing a portion of the air flowing through said conduit and discharging said withdrawn air in said heating chamber at an increased velocity, and means for spraying water into said cool air conduit.

V 7. The combination with a furnace having a heatin element, a shell surroundin the same an spaced therefrom to provide aieating chamber, and acool air conduit communicating through the lower portion of said shell with said heating chamber, of devices for withdrawing a ortion of the air flowing through said con uit and discharging said withdrawn air in said heatin chamber at an increased velocity, a flui receptacle in the lower portion of said cool air chamber, a pump, a pipe leading from said receptacle to said pump, and a separate pipe leading from said pump to said cool air conduit and discharging therein in a plane above the plane of said receptacle.

8. The combination with a furnace having a heating element% a shell inclosing the same and spaced there rom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communicating through the lower ortion of said shell with said heating cham er, of a blower, an inlet conduit leading from said cool air conduit to said blower, a discharge conduit leadin from said blower and terminating in said heating chamber, a discharging device connected to said discharge conduit and positioned within said' heating chamber, whereby the air discharged through said discharging device is circulated around the heating element of the furnace, and means for splraying water into said cool air conduit.

9. he combination with a furnace having a heating element a shell inclosing the same and spaced therefrom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communicating throu h the lower ortion of said shell with said heating chamber, of a blower, an inlet conduit leading from said cool air conduit to said blower, a discharge conduit leading from said blower and terminating in said heating chamber, a discharging device connected to said discharge conduit and positioned within said heating chamber whereby the air discharged through said discharging device is circulated around the heatln element of the furnace, a fluid receptac f; in the lower portion of said cool air conduit, a .pump, a pipe leading from said receptacle to said pump, and a separate pipe leading from said pump to said cool air conduit and discharging therein in a plane above the plane of said receptacle.

10. The combination with a furnace having a heating element, a shell inclosing the same and spaced therefrom to provide a heating chamber, and a cool air conduit communicating through the lower portion of said shell with said heating chamber, of a blower, a motor actuating said blower, an

inlet conduit leading from said cool air conduit to said blower, a discharge conduit lead ing from said blower and terminating in said heating chamber, a discharging device connected to said discharge conduit and positioned within said heating chamber whereby the air discharged through said discharging device is circulated around the heating element of the furnace, and means for dischargin a quantity of fluid into said cool air con uit; said means including a pump operatively connected to said motor.

11. The combination with a furnace having a heating element, a shell inclosin the same and spaced therefrom to provlde a heating chamber and a cool air conduit communicating throu h the lower portion of said shell with-sald heatin chamber, of a blower, an inlet conduit lea ing to said cool air conduit from said blower, a discharge conduit leading from said blower and terminating in said heatin chamber, a dis charging device connecte to said discharge conduit and positioned within said heating" chamber whereby the air discharged through said discharging device is circulated around motor actuating said blower, and a shaft the heating element of the furnace, a fluid connecting said motor and pump. 10 receptacle in the lower portion of said cool Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and air conduit, a pump, a pipe leading from State of Illinois, this 23rd day. of February, said receptacle to said pump, a separate 1920.

pipe leading from said pump to said cool RUDOLPH V. MENK. air conduit and discharging therein in a Witness:

plane above the plane of said receptacle, a E. K. LUNDY, Jr. 

